US20190135476A1 - Polymeric spirits container - Google Patents
Polymeric spirits container Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20190135476A1 US20190135476A1 US16/096,015 US201616096015A US2019135476A1 US 20190135476 A1 US20190135476 A1 US 20190135476A1 US 201616096015 A US201616096015 A US 201616096015A US 2019135476 A1 US2019135476 A1 US 2019135476A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- inches
- finish
- spirits
- shoulder
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
- B65D1/0207—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by material, e.g. composition, physical features
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
- B65D1/0223—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by shape
- B65D1/023—Neck construction
- B65D1/0246—Closure retaining means, e.g. beads, screw-threads
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
- B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
- B65D85/72—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
- C08L101/00—Compositions of unspecified macromolecular compounds
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C49/00—Blow-moulding, i.e. blowing a preform or parison to a desired shape within a mould; Apparatus therefor
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B3/00—Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
- B65B3/04—Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B7/00—Closing containers or receptacles after filling
- B65B7/16—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons
- B65B7/28—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
- B65B7/2835—Closing semi-rigid or rigid containers or receptacles not deformed by, or not taking-up shape of, contents, e.g. boxes or cartons by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers applying and rotating preformed threaded caps
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a polymeric container configured to store spirits, drink mixers, or other liquids for use at a bar.
- glass spirits containers While current glass spirits containers are suitable for their intended use, they are subject to improvement. For example, glass spirits containers are undesirably heavy, subject to shattering, and costly to ship. Furthermore, glass spirits containers of different capacities, such as 750 ml and 1 ml, cannot be filled with the same equipment due to their different exterior dimensions, such as different diameters, and undesirably require different pour spouts having different diameters.
- the filling line must be shut down and reconfigured to accommodate the 1 L containers, which causes fillers to lose valuable machine operating time, and adds to production costs.
- the present teachings advantageously provide for polymeric spirits and mixer containers that address the aforementioned needs and shortcomings in the art, as well as numerous others.
- PET containers are being used more than ever to package numerous commodities previously supplied in glass containers.
- PET is a crystallizable polymer, meaning that it is available in an amorphous form or a semi-crystalline form.
- the ability of a PET container to maintain its material integrity relates to the percentage of the PET container in crystalline form, also known as the “crystallinity” of the PET container.
- the following equation defines the percentage of crystallinity as a volume fraction:
- ⁇ is the density of the PET material
- ⁇ a is the density of pure amorphous PET material (1.333 g/cc)
- ⁇ c is the density of pure crystalline material (1.455 g/cc).
- Container manufacturers use mechanical processing and thermal processing to increase the PET polymer crystallinity of a container.
- Mechanical processing involves orienting the amorphous material to achieve strain hardening. This processing commonly involves stretching an injection molded PET preform along a longitudinal axis and expanding the PET preform along a transverse or radial axis to form a PET container. The combination promotes what manufacturers define as biaxial orientation of the molecular structure in the container.
- Manufacturers of PET containers currently use mechanical processing to produce PET containers having approximately 20% crystallinity in the container's sidewall.
- Thermal processing involves heating the material (either amorphous or semi-crystalline) to promote crystal growth.
- thermal processing of PET material results in a spherulitic morphology that interferes with the transmission of light. In other words, the resulting crystalline material is opaque, and thus, generally undesirable.
- thermal processing results in higher crystallinity and excellent clarity for those portions of the container having a biaxial molecular orientation.
- the present teachings provide for a container configured to store spirits or mixers for spirits.
- the container is made of a polymeric material and has a capacity of at least one liter.
- a finish of the container and a maximum outer diameter of the container are dimensioned to permit the container to be filled with equipment configured to fill 750 ml glass spirits containers.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of a polymeric container, such as for spirits or drink mixers, according to the present teachings;
- FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a finish of the container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of area 3 of FIG. 1 showing a sidewall of the container of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 modified to include flutes at a shoulder portion of the container.
- a polymeric container according to the present teachings is generally illustrated at reference numeral 10 .
- the container 10 can store any suitable product, such as any suitable liquid product.
- the container 10 is particularly configured to store spirits or drink mixers, and is particularly suited for bar use.
- the container 10 is a round container having a capacity of at least 1 L, but can have any other suitable shape, such as any suitable shape to accommodate filling equipment used to fill the container 10 , such as filling equipment used to fill smaller 750 ml capacity glass containers as described herein.
- the container 10 can be formed to have any suitable capacity, such as a capacity greater than 750 ml.
- the container 10 can be configured to have a capacity of at least 1 liter, such as 1 liter or about 1 liter, or 1.14 liters or about 1.14 liters, or up to 1.75 liters or about 1.75 liters.
- the container 10 can be made of any suitable material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS).
- PET polyethylene terephthalate
- LDPE low-density polyethylene
- HDPE high-density polyethylene
- PP polypropylene
- PS polystyrene
- the container 10 can be formed in any suitable manner, such as with any suitable blow-molding process, for example.
- the container 10 generally includes a first end 12 and a second end 14 , which is opposite to the first end 12 .
- a finish 20 At the first end 12 is a finish 20 , which defines an opening 22 of the container 10 through which contents of the container 10 can be loaded into the container 10 , or dispensed from within the container 10 .
- a longitudinal axis A of the container 10 extends through a radial center of the opening 22 .
- Extending outward from an outer surface of the finish 20 are threads 24 .
- the threads 24 are configured in any suitable manner to cooperate with any suitable closure such as a 28 mm closure, which when in cooperation with the threads 24 will extend across the opening 22 to close and seal the opening 22 .
- a flange 26 extends outward from the container 10 , and can be configured to support a preform of the container 10 in a mold during blow-molding of the container 10 .
- the finish 20 can be configured in any suitable manner to cooperate with any suitable closure, such as a short closure, a tall closure, a roll-on pilfer proof (ROPP) closure, a swing-top closure, or a bar-top closure, or any other custom closure.
- any suitable closure such as a short closure, a tall closure, a roll-on pilfer proof (ROPP) closure, a swing-top closure, or a bar-top closure, or any other custom closure.
- ROPP roll-on pilfer proof
- the neck 30 extends along the longitudinal axis A of the container 10 , and generally tapers outward from the longitudinal axis A as the neck 30 extends from the finish 20 to a shoulder 40 of the container 10 .
- the neck 30 is most narrow proximate to the finish 20 , and widest proximate to the shoulder 40 .
- the shoulder 40 tapers outward from the longitudinal axis A as the shoulder 40 extends from the neck 30 to a body 50 of the container 10 .
- the shoulder 40 can include a smooth surface 42 as illustrated in FIG. 1 , or a fluted surface 44 as illustrated in FIG. 4 , or any other customized surface or shape.
- the shoulder 40 is most narrow proximate to the neck 30 , and is widest proximate to the body 50 .
- the body 50 extends from the shoulder 40 to a base 60 of the container 10 .
- the body 50 includes an outer wall 52 , which defines a portion of an internal volume 70 of the container 10 .
- the outer wall 52 is generally circular.
- the base 60 includes a standing surface 62 at the second end 14 , which is configured to support the container 10 in an upright position when the container 10 is seated on a suitably flat surface.
- the base 60 can be any suitable type of base.
- any suitable rigid base can be used, such as any suitable non-vacuum absorbing base.
- the container 10 is dimensioned such that even though it has a capacity of 1 liter or more, such as 1 liter or 1.14 liters, the container 10 can be filled with equipment configured to fill standard 750 ml glass spirits containers.
- the container 10 has a maximum outer diameter D M that is the same as, or generally the same as, 750 ml spirits containers.
- the maximum outer diameter D M is between 2.5 inches, or about 2.5 inches, to 3.5 inches, or about 3.5 inches. In particular, the maximum outer diameter D M is about 3.1 inches, such as 3.115 inches.
- the container 10 also has a total height H T as measured between the first and second ends 12 and 14 that is less than 13 inches so as to allow the container 10 to be seated on shelves configured to accommodate standard 750 ml spirits containers.
- Having a total height H T of less than 13 inches also advantageously allows the container 10 to be filled by filling equipment configured to fill 750 ml spirits containers.
- the container 10 can have any suitable height less than 13 inches or less than 12.8 inches, such as a total height H T of 12.3 inches, or about 12.3 inches.
- the container 10 has a total height H T that is 4 times greater than, or about 4 times greater than, the maximum outer diameter D M .
- the container 10 is further dimensioned with a base and body height H B measured from the second end 14 to where the body 50 meets the shoulder 40 .
- the height H B can be any suitable height, such as 7.7 inches, or about 7.7 inches.
- the total height H T of the container 10 is about 1.6 times greater than the height H B .
- the body 50 includes a label portion 54 to which a container label is typically affixed.
- the label portion 54 has a length L L of between about 5 inches to about 6 inches, or 6.2 inches, or about 6.2 inches, or any other suitable length.
- the finish 20 has a diameter D F of 0.98 inches, or about 1.0 inches, as measured at the outside edges of the first end 12 .
- the finish 20 has an inner diameter D I of 0.65′′ to 0.85′′.
- the inner diameter D I proximate to the opening 22 can be 0.775 inches, or about 0.78 inches.
- the finish 20 has an inner surface 28 that tapers inward towards the longitudinal axis A as the finish 20 extends from the first end 12 towards the neck 30 .
- the finish 20 is configured to accommodate a pour spout to facilitate pouring contents out from within the container 10 .
- the pour spout can be any pour spout configured for use with a 750 ml glass spirits container.
- the finish 20 and particularly the inner surface 28 at the inner diameter D I , is dimensioned, shaped, and generally configured to accommodate a pour spout dimensioned for use with any suitable prior art 750 ml glass spirits container.
- the neck 30 has a length N L extending parallel to the longitudinal axis A.
- the length N L extends from where the neck 30 transitions to the shoulder 40 , to where the neck 30 transitions to the finish 20 , just below the flange 26 .
- the neck length N L can be any suitable length, such as 2.3 inches, or about 2.3 inches.
- the neck 30 can have a length N L configured to accommodate any suitable spirits or drink mixer label.
- the neck length N L of the neck 30 as well as the slope of the shoulder 40 , can be varied to provide the container 10 with any desirable shape, such as a shape corresponding to a glass bottle that the particular spirit or drink mixer is typically sold in.
- the outer wall 52 of the container 10 can have any suitable thickness.
- the outer wall 52 can have a wall thickness T W of about 0.01 inches to about 0.05 inches.
- the wall thickness T W is less than a glass container wall thickness, thereby advantageously providing the container 10 with additional volume capacity without having to increase the maximum diameter D M , and only minimally increasing the total height H T .
- the height H B can be minimally increased as compared to 750 ml glass containers, thereby increasing the internal volume 70 at the body 50 .
- the container 10 is about 80% lighter than similarly sized glass containers. As a result, the container 10 is advantageously less costly to ship as compared to glass containers, often times resulting in a 20% cost savings per truckload.
- the container 10 can have any suitable unfilled weight, such as between about 50 grams and about 90 grams. For example, the container 10 can have an unfilled weight of 79 grams, or about 79 grams.
- the container 10 is advantageously shatter resistant. Thus the container 10 will not shatter or break during filling, which results in less material waste and increased filling efficiencies. In contrast, about 1% to 5% of glass containers break during the filling process, which results in wasted material and lost production time because the production line must be shut down each time a container breaks to clean up the broken glass and spilled contents.
- polymeric container will not break, there is no need to separate neighboring containers by a divider or a partition when being shipped or stored.
- multiple polymeric containers 10 can be positioned closer together, and may abut one another, thereby allowing additional containers to be loaded onto each truck, effectively increasing the container capacity of each truck. Eliminating the divider between containers further reduces shipping costs because there is no need to spend money on dividers.
- the dimensions of the container 10 set forth above advantageously allow the container 10 to be run through a glass bottling line configured to fill 750 ml glass containers so that the container 10 can be filled by existing equipment, and so that a line filling 750 ml glass containers need not be shut down and significantly reconfigured to accommodate larger containers of 1 liter or more, as is currently the case, which undesirably increases manufacturing costs.
- Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
- first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
- Spatially relative terms such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
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Abstract
Description
- The present disclosure relates to a polymeric container configured to store spirits, drink mixers, or other liquids for use at a bar.
- This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
- While current glass spirits containers are suitable for their intended use, they are subject to improvement. For example, glass spirits containers are undesirably heavy, subject to shattering, and costly to ship. Furthermore, glass spirits containers of different capacities, such as 750 ml and 1 ml, cannot be filled with the same equipment due to their different exterior dimensions, such as different diameters, and undesirably require different pour spouts having different diameters.
- It would therefore be desirable to have a spirits container that weighs less than existing glass containers, is shatter resistant, and is less costly to ship as compared to existing glass containers. It would further be desirable to have a 1 L or larger spirits container that can be filled with the same equipment used to fill standard 750 ml glass spirits containers, and can be used with a standard 750 ml pour spout. This is because 750 ml is currently the standard size for glass spirits and mixer containers. Glass 1 L containers have diameters that are larger than 750 ml containers, which makes 1 L glass containers unable to be filled by equipment configured to accommodate 750 ml containers. As a result, to fill 1 L glass spirits and mixer containers, the filling line must be shut down and reconfigured to accommodate the 1 L containers, which causes fillers to lose valuable machine operating time, and adds to production costs. The present teachings advantageously provide for polymeric spirits and mixer containers that address the aforementioned needs and shortcomings in the art, as well as numerous others.
- As a result of environmental and other concerns, plastic containers, more specifically polyester and even more specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers, are being used more than ever to package numerous commodities previously supplied in glass containers. Manufacturers and fillers, as well as consumers, have recognized that PET containers are lightweight, inexpensive, recyclable, and manufacturable in large quantities.
- Blow-molded plastic containers have become commonplace in packaging numerous commodities. PET is a crystallizable polymer, meaning that it is available in an amorphous form or a semi-crystalline form. The ability of a PET container to maintain its material integrity relates to the percentage of the PET container in crystalline form, also known as the “crystallinity” of the PET container. The following equation defines the percentage of crystallinity as a volume fraction:
-
- where ρ is the density of the PET material; ρa is the density of pure amorphous PET material (1.333 g/cc); and ρc is the density of pure crystalline material (1.455 g/cc).
- Container manufacturers use mechanical processing and thermal processing to increase the PET polymer crystallinity of a container. Mechanical processing involves orienting the amorphous material to achieve strain hardening. This processing commonly involves stretching an injection molded PET preform along a longitudinal axis and expanding the PET preform along a transverse or radial axis to form a PET container. The combination promotes what manufacturers define as biaxial orientation of the molecular structure in the container. Manufacturers of PET containers currently use mechanical processing to produce PET containers having approximately 20% crystallinity in the container's sidewall.
- Thermal processing involves heating the material (either amorphous or semi-crystalline) to promote crystal growth. On amorphous material, thermal processing of PET material results in a spherulitic morphology that interferes with the transmission of light. In other words, the resulting crystalline material is opaque, and thus, generally undesirable. Used after mechanical processing, however, thermal processing results in higher crystallinity and excellent clarity for those portions of the container having a biaxial molecular orientation.
- This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
- The present teachings provide for a container configured to store spirits or mixers for spirits. The container is made of a polymeric material and has a capacity of at least one liter. A finish of the container and a maximum outer diameter of the container are dimensioned to permit the container to be filled with equipment configured to fill 750 ml glass spirits containers.
- Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
- The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
-
FIG. 1 is a side view of a polymeric container, such as for spirits or drink mixers, according to the present teachings; -
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a finish of the container ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view ofarea 3 ofFIG. 1 showing a sidewall of the container ofFIG. 1 ; and -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container ofFIG. 1 modified to include flutes at a shoulder portion of the container. - Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
- Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- With initial reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , a polymeric container according to the present teachings is generally illustrated atreference numeral 10. Thecontainer 10 can store any suitable product, such as any suitable liquid product. Thecontainer 10 is particularly configured to store spirits or drink mixers, and is particularly suited for bar use. Thecontainer 10 is a round container having a capacity of at least 1 L, but can have any other suitable shape, such as any suitable shape to accommodate filling equipment used to fill thecontainer 10, such as filling equipment used to fill smaller 750 ml capacity glass containers as described herein. - The
container 10 can be formed to have any suitable capacity, such as a capacity greater than 750 ml. In particular, thecontainer 10 can be configured to have a capacity of at least 1 liter, such as 1 liter or about 1 liter, or 1.14 liters or about 1.14 liters, or up to 1.75 liters or about 1.75 liters. Thecontainer 10 can be made of any suitable material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS). Thecontainer 10 can be formed in any suitable manner, such as with any suitable blow-molding process, for example. - The
container 10 generally includes afirst end 12 and asecond end 14, which is opposite to thefirst end 12. At thefirst end 12 is afinish 20, which defines anopening 22 of thecontainer 10 through which contents of thecontainer 10 can be loaded into thecontainer 10, or dispensed from within thecontainer 10. A longitudinal axis A of thecontainer 10 extends through a radial center of theopening 22. Extending outward from an outer surface of thefinish 20 arethreads 24. Thethreads 24 are configured in any suitable manner to cooperate with any suitable closure such as a 28 mm closure, which when in cooperation with thethreads 24 will extend across theopening 22 to close and seal theopening 22. Aflange 26 extends outward from thecontainer 10, and can be configured to support a preform of thecontainer 10 in a mold during blow-molding of thecontainer 10. Thefinish 20 can be configured in any suitable manner to cooperate with any suitable closure, such as a short closure, a tall closure, a roll-on pilfer proof (ROPP) closure, a swing-top closure, or a bar-top closure, or any other custom closure. - Extending from the
finish 20 towards thesecond end 14 is aneck 30 of thecontainer 10. Theneck 30 extends along the longitudinal axis A of thecontainer 10, and generally tapers outward from the longitudinal axis A as theneck 30 extends from thefinish 20 to ashoulder 40 of thecontainer 10. Thus theneck 30 is most narrow proximate to thefinish 20, and widest proximate to theshoulder 40. - The
shoulder 40 tapers outward from the longitudinal axis A as theshoulder 40 extends from theneck 30 to abody 50 of thecontainer 10. Theshoulder 40 can include asmooth surface 42 as illustrated inFIG. 1 , or afluted surface 44 as illustrated inFIG. 4 , or any other customized surface or shape. Theshoulder 40 is most narrow proximate to theneck 30, and is widest proximate to thebody 50. - The
body 50 extends from theshoulder 40 to abase 60 of thecontainer 10. Thebody 50 includes anouter wall 52, which defines a portion of aninternal volume 70 of thecontainer 10. Theouter wall 52 is generally circular. - The
base 60 includes a standingsurface 62 at thesecond end 14, which is configured to support thecontainer 10 in an upright position when thecontainer 10 is seated on a suitably flat surface. The base 60 can be any suitable type of base. For example, any suitable rigid base can be used, such as any suitable non-vacuum absorbing base. - The
container 10 is dimensioned such that even though it has a capacity of 1 liter or more, such as 1 liter or 1.14 liters, thecontainer 10 can be filled with equipment configured to fill standard 750 ml glass spirits containers. Specifically, thecontainer 10 has a maximum outer diameter DM that is the same as, or generally the same as, 750 ml spirits containers. The maximum outer diameter DM is between 2.5 inches, or about 2.5 inches, to 3.5 inches, or about 3.5 inches. In particular, the maximum outer diameter DM is about 3.1 inches, such as 3.115 inches. Thecontainer 10 also has a total height HT as measured between the first and second ends 12 and 14 that is less than 13 inches so as to allow thecontainer 10 to be seated on shelves configured to accommodate standard 750 ml spirits containers. Having a total height HT of less than 13 inches also advantageously allows thecontainer 10 to be filled by filling equipment configured to fill 750 ml spirits containers. Thecontainer 10 can have any suitable height less than 13 inches or less than 12.8 inches, such as a total height HT of 12.3 inches, or about 12.3 inches. Thecontainer 10 has a total height HT that is 4 times greater than, or about 4 times greater than, the maximum outer diameter DM. - The
container 10 is further dimensioned with a base and body height HB measured from thesecond end 14 to where thebody 50 meets theshoulder 40. The height HB can be any suitable height, such as 7.7 inches, or about 7.7 inches. The total height HT of thecontainer 10 is about 1.6 times greater than the height HB. Thebody 50 includes alabel portion 54 to which a container label is typically affixed. Thelabel portion 54 has a length LL of between about 5 inches to about 6 inches, or 6.2 inches, or about 6.2 inches, or any other suitable length. - With continued reference to
FIG. 1 and additional reference toFIG. 2 , thefinish 20 has a diameter DF of 0.98 inches, or about 1.0 inches, as measured at the outside edges of thefirst end 12. Thefinish 20 has an inner diameter DI of 0.65″ to 0.85″. For example, the inner diameter DI proximate to theopening 22 can be 0.775 inches, or about 0.78 inches. Thefinish 20 has aninner surface 28 that tapers inward towards the longitudinal axis A as thefinish 20 extends from thefirst end 12 towards theneck 30. - The
finish 20, and particularly theinner surface 28 thereof, is configured to accommodate a pour spout to facilitate pouring contents out from within thecontainer 10. The pour spout can be any pour spout configured for use with a 750 ml glass spirits container. Thus, thefinish 20, and particularly theinner surface 28 at the inner diameter DI, is dimensioned, shaped, and generally configured to accommodate a pour spout dimensioned for use with any suitable prior art 750 ml glass spirits container. - The
neck 30 has a length NL extending parallel to the longitudinal axis A. The length NL extends from where theneck 30 transitions to theshoulder 40, to where theneck 30 transitions to thefinish 20, just below theflange 26. The neck length NL can be any suitable length, such as 2.3 inches, or about 2.3 inches. Theneck 30 can have a length NL configured to accommodate any suitable spirits or drink mixer label. The neck length NL of theneck 30, as well as the slope of theshoulder 40, can be varied to provide thecontainer 10 with any desirable shape, such as a shape corresponding to a glass bottle that the particular spirit or drink mixer is typically sold in. - With reference to
FIG. 3 , theouter wall 52 of thecontainer 10 can have any suitable thickness. For example, at thebody 50, theouter wall 52 can have a wall thickness TW of about 0.01 inches to about 0.05 inches. The wall thickness TW is less than a glass container wall thickness, thereby advantageously providing thecontainer 10 with additional volume capacity without having to increase the maximum diameter DM, and only minimally increasing the total height HT. For example, the height HB can be minimally increased as compared to 750 ml glass containers, thereby increasing theinternal volume 70 at thebody 50. - Forming the
container 10 of a polymeric material provides thecontainer 10 with numerous advantages over glass containers. For example, thecontainer 10 is about 80% lighter than similarly sized glass containers. As a result, thecontainer 10 is advantageously less costly to ship as compared to glass containers, often times resulting in a 20% cost savings per truckload. Thecontainer 10 can have any suitable unfilled weight, such as between about 50 grams and about 90 grams. For example, thecontainer 10 can have an unfilled weight of 79 grams, or about 79 grams. - The
container 10 is advantageously shatter resistant. Thus thecontainer 10 will not shatter or break during filling, which results in less material waste and increased filling efficiencies. In contrast, about 1% to 5% of glass containers break during the filling process, which results in wasted material and lost production time because the production line must be shut down each time a container breaks to clean up the broken glass and spilled contents. - Because the polymeric container will not break, there is no need to separate neighboring containers by a divider or a partition when being shipped or stored. As a result, multiple
polymeric containers 10 can be positioned closer together, and may abut one another, thereby allowing additional containers to be loaded onto each truck, effectively increasing the container capacity of each truck. Eliminating the divider between containers further reduces shipping costs because there is no need to spend money on dividers. - The dimensions of the
container 10 set forth above advantageously allow thecontainer 10 to be run through a glass bottling line configured to fill 750 ml glass containers so that thecontainer 10 can be filled by existing equipment, and so that a line filling 750 ml glass containers need not be shut down and significantly reconfigured to accommodate larger containers of 1 liter or more, as is currently the case, which undesirably increases manufacturing costs. - The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
- Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
- The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
- When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
- Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
- Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Claims (27)
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2016/029117 WO2017188916A1 (en) | 2016-04-25 | 2016-04-25 | Polymeric spirits container |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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PCT/US2016/029117 A-371-Of-International WO2017188916A1 (en) | 2016-04-25 | 2016-04-25 | Polymeric spirits container |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US17/555,307 Division US20220111993A1 (en) | 2016-04-25 | 2021-12-17 | Polymeric Spirits Container |
Publications (1)
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US20190135476A1 true US20190135476A1 (en) | 2019-05-09 |
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Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US16/096,015 Abandoned US20190135476A1 (en) | 2016-04-25 | 2016-04-25 | Polymeric spirits container |
US17/555,307 Pending US20220111993A1 (en) | 2016-04-25 | 2021-12-17 | Polymeric Spirits Container |
Family Applications After (1)
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US17/555,307 Pending US20220111993A1 (en) | 2016-04-25 | 2021-12-17 | Polymeric Spirits Container |
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US (2) | US20190135476A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3448766A4 (en) |
BR (1) | BR112018071666A2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA3015446A1 (en) |
MX (1) | MX2018010738A (en) |
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US10894625B1 (en) | 2020-07-29 | 2021-01-19 | Verre Vert, Inc. | Lightweight polymer bottle for wine and spirits |
US12012253B1 (en) | 2023-03-02 | 2024-06-18 | Verre Vert, Inc. | Lightweight polymer wine bottle suitable for use with natural cork or synthetic stoppers |
Family Cites Families (23)
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US217127A (en) * | 1879-07-01 | Improvement in vent-spouts for bottles | ||
US3595421A (en) * | 1969-04-14 | 1971-07-27 | Jose Sanchis | Pour spout adapter |
US4813557A (en) * | 1984-03-05 | 1989-03-21 | Sewell Plastics Inc. | Pasteurizable container closure |
US4725464A (en) * | 1986-05-30 | 1988-02-16 | Continental Pet Technologies, Inc. | Refillable polyester beverage bottle and preform for forming same |
US4928835A (en) * | 1989-01-31 | 1990-05-29 | Continental Pet Technologies, Inc. | Injection molded preform, method of treating same and container formed therefrom |
UY24071A1 (en) * | 1994-10-27 | 1996-03-25 | Coca Cola Co | CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR MAKING A CONTAINER OF POLYETHYLENE NAPHTHALATE AND COPOLYMERS THEREOF |
WO1998029314A1 (en) * | 1996-12-30 | 1998-07-09 | Carlsberg A/S | Polymer bottle closed by crown cap or such like |
DE10027924A1 (en) * | 2000-06-06 | 2001-12-13 | Krupp Corpoplast Maschb Gmbh | Blow-molding thermoplastic container with gas barrier properties, controls temperatures of blow molding segments and base inserts to specified levels |
JP4080212B2 (en) * | 2002-01-31 | 2008-04-23 | 株式会社吉野工業所 | Thin-walled bottle made of synthetic resin |
HU225465B1 (en) * | 2002-06-28 | 2006-12-28 | Mikael Torma | Band-shaped tag for showing information, especially for wine-bottle |
US6997336B2 (en) * | 2002-09-23 | 2006-02-14 | Graham Packaging Company, L.P. | Plastic cafare |
US7028857B2 (en) * | 2003-05-28 | 2006-04-18 | Fci, Inc. | Plastic water bottle and apparatus and method to convey the bottle and prevent bottle rotation |
US7182110B2 (en) * | 2005-04-25 | 2007-02-27 | Roebuck John T | Fluid dispensing system with timed sequence fill cycle |
AU2007201691B2 (en) * | 2006-04-18 | 2013-06-06 | Amcor Limited | A bottle |
US7891513B2 (en) * | 2007-06-08 | 2011-02-22 | Amcor Limited | Container base with feet |
US20090026167A1 (en) * | 2007-07-27 | 2009-01-29 | Leilani Metry | Wine label cover apparatus and method |
FR2925030B1 (en) * | 2007-12-17 | 2010-05-28 | Plastiques Andre Verchere | RECYCLABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER AND CORRESPONDING CLOSURE DEVICE |
US20090274793A1 (en) * | 2008-05-02 | 2009-11-05 | Daryl Stephan Schroeder | Wine Making Method |
US20110000869A1 (en) * | 2009-07-01 | 2011-01-06 | Kraft Foods Global Brands Llc | Container Neck With Recesses |
EP2351781A1 (en) * | 2010-01-28 | 2011-08-03 | Total Petrochemicals Research Feluy | Injection stretch blow moulding containers prepared with polyethylene |
AU2011101222A4 (en) * | 2010-09-27 | 2011-10-20 | Myoori Pty Ltd | Wine Label |
US20160251104A1 (en) * | 2013-07-24 | 2016-09-01 | Alpha Consolidated Holdings Inc. | Bottle with expansion chamber and pinch grips |
WO2016065171A1 (en) * | 2014-10-23 | 2016-04-28 | Sello, LLC. | Preservation device |
-
2016
- 2016-04-25 BR BR112018071666-9A patent/BR112018071666A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2016-04-25 WO PCT/US2016/029117 patent/WO2017188916A1/en active Application Filing
- 2016-04-25 CA CA3015446A patent/CA3015446A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2016-04-25 MX MX2018010738A patent/MX2018010738A/en unknown
- 2016-04-25 EP EP16900661.6A patent/EP3448766A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2016-04-25 US US16/096,015 patent/US20190135476A1/en not_active Abandoned
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2021
- 2021-12-17 US US17/555,307 patent/US20220111993A1/en active Pending
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EP3448766A4 (en) | 2020-01-15 |
US20220111993A1 (en) | 2022-04-14 |
EP3448766A1 (en) | 2019-03-06 |
WO2017188916A1 (en) | 2017-11-02 |
MX2018010738A (en) | 2019-03-06 |
CA3015446A1 (en) | 2017-11-02 |
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